Story photos

The hamlet of Rangdum brings with it some signs of life. These are the Himalayan horses walking on the banks of the Suru river. Randum is the southernmost tip of the Suru valley, the valley that separates Kargil from Zanskar, the most remote valley in India.

The barren mountain faces of the Greater Himalayas in Zanskar reveal ragged patterns. Stunning landscapes like these are part of the 250 km journey from Kargil to Zanskar. It is one of the most isolated stretches of the Himalayas in India.

Parkachik is the last village in Suru valley. The Parkachik glacier is 1km away from the village of Parkachik. Much of the snow had melted when we saw it in the month of July, but it sill made for an interesting look especially with the mighty Himalayas surrounding it.

This picture was taken from a truck in which we travelled from Parkachik to Zanskar.

Summer is the only time the people of Zanskar have access to fresh local food. Every family in this region has a small farm where they grow vegetables like peas, carrots, potatoes and a variety of greens. The family consumes what's needed . The rest is put to dry for use in the severe winter months.

The twin peaks of Nun (7135m) and Kun (7087m) are the biggest and the highest attraction in the Suru valley. The contrast of the perennially snow covered Nun and the barren Kun add to the mystic of the place. Suru valley stretches from Kargil right up to the Penzi la after which the Zanskar valley starts. It is the greenest valley of the Greater Himalayas. Every village in the Suru valley takes pride in the view it affords of the Nun and the Kun peaks.

Panikhar is a village in Suru valley. Suru valley stretches from Kargil right up to the Penzi la after which the Zanskar valley starts. It is the greenest valley of the Greater Himalayas. Every village in the Suru valley takes pride in the view it affords of the Nun and the Kun peaks.

He was a laborer who stayed at Kargil and went to work in the smaller villages around Kargil. The summer months see a boom in construction activity in these areas which are snow clad in winter. These laborers come from the poorer states in India, mostly from Jharkhand.

Every morning a bus popularly nicknamed "laborer bus" leaves Kargil early in the morning to drop these laborers to their respective workplaces.

Maqsuma is a class 4 student from a small village called KarcheKhar near Kargil in the state of J&K in India.
The remote location causes a dearth of good schools in the area. The Indian Army, which has a huge presence there tries to do its bit by running an Army School. Maqsuma studied in this school and was evidently smarter and bolder than her peers who went to local schools.
Read full story on Kids of the hills

Around 40km after Kargil, Sankoo is a stepping stone to head deep in the Suru valley. It is surprisingly green for its altitude, of over 3000mt, thanks to the Suru river that flows through it.

A zig zag road follows this river, crossing several bridges, as seen above, to cross the Suru valley through villages like Sankoo, Panikhar, Tangole and Parkachik, where suddenly, civilisation comes to a halt!

Boys will be boys! We met him in Goma Kargil, which is a small village higher up from Kargil. He was playing the mirror game, casting a reflection of the sun on the ground, and the light was what caught our attention. Mischief sure has an universal appeal! Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills…

Tiger Hill is the highest and the most famous mountain peak in this region. It shot to prominence when a fierce battle was fought here in the Kargil War of 1999. Read more about Dras at Why visit Dras?

Dras was the town we chose to spend our first ever high altitude night in. It turned out to be so much more than just an “altitude acclimatisation” stopover on the way to Ladakh. Read more about Drass at Why visit Dras?

Dras was the town we chose to spend our first ever high altitude night in. It turned out to be so much more than just an “altitude acclimatisation” stopover on the way to Ladakh. Read more about Drass at Why visit Dras?

The people you meet on the road are the most impactful part of any travel. Especially the kids. Times spent with the kids are some of our fondest memories. Read more of the kids we met at The kids of the hills…

We were back in Dras just in time to see the first of many glorious high altitudes sunsets. We don’t know if altitude affects the cloud formations. Because, the clouds here were something special! Read more about Drass at Why visit Dras?

This is the accommodation facility of the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department. Dras is so much more than just an “altitude acclimatisation” stopover on the way to Ladakh. Read more about Drass at Why visit Dras?